Standing Out in a Crowded Inbox

In order for your email to stand out to the recipient, you need to focus on four concepts: simplicity, color, proportion and message focus. It is important to make an impression to the reader because people get so much email every day.

Simplicity: You need to keep things simple. People generally scan their emails, which means you need to have every important thing you want to say written in a clear and concise way that makes sure your point is known. Your images and size need to be meek and appropriate. Keep everything simple but clear, including your images, buttons, and links.

Color: Keep things simple still, but use colors to highlight what you want to really showcase. Use contrasting colors to draw the eye in, to reinforce a statement, to amplify a call to action. But don’t overwhelm and distract from your message. You are using colors to bring the focus to what is important, not to overpower the actual message.

Proportion: You want your email message to flow smoothly and evenly. You want the reader’s eyes to be able to track it well and be directed to the parts you want to highlight. If your email flows like an hour glass with large banners or heavy material in the top and bottom but simple text or light images in the middle, the reader’s eyes will track it as an hourglass and may miss things on the sides of the message. If your message has a heavy border banners and images the reader may miss the lighter material in the middle. Keep your proportions even and design your email message according to how you wish it to be seen.

Message Focus: Email marketing is designed to solicit a direct response that is specific and quantifiable. The largest point of your message is to generate a response so make your message clear and definitive. Quickly and clearly communicate your message or offer. The message needs to be targeted to immediately elicit a response to the offer or invitation to click, call or visit. The use of urgency and clear, compelling text and graphics can help to reinforce the focus your message. If your reader is unsure of what you are asking them to do, they will not do anything.

You need to distinguish yourself from the hundred other message the reader will receive and to do that you need to focus on and monitor your message clarity, proportions, colors and the simplicity of your email as a whole.